Henry wasn’t as keen on solitude once he found himself alone. If he was honest, he had to admit he’d been disappointed when David had opted not to join everyone at his condo. Knowing David was likely at Gibney Beach Villas barely two miles away was making him restless. Having him on the same island was going to be nothing but temptation. What would Henry do if David decided to buy Larry’s plane and cottage from Cassie? And why should he be the one feeling uncomfortable? David should be wearing the hair shirt, not him.
He headed to Bar None for a bite to eat, fighting the impulse to take a right turn toward Gibney when he reached Cruz Bay. He forced himself to turn left. Normally, Henry refused to pay for parking in Cruz Bay, preferring to spend twenty minutes driving in circles until a free space opened up. But tonight was different. He was spent. He plucked five bucks from his wallet without a second thought.
He found an empty stool at the bar and ordered a Bar None painkiller, which he hoped would perform. The bar was noisy and full, mostly with tanned young people talking over the noise and music. Henry’s preference was to sit quietly and allow the din of the conversations to protect him from having to engage in them.
“Mind if I sit next to you?” a woman’s voice said from behind.
He wanted to say, “Yes, you dimwit, I do. Besides, can’t you tell, I’m gay.” Then he realized it was Heather Malzone who had approached him. Henry knew he had caused Ten Villas enough damage in the last several days, so he decided to begin rehabilitating himself.
“Heather, please join me. I was just about to order some crabmeat wontons. What would you like to drink?”
“I’ll have a double Patrón on the rocks with a slice of lime, please.”
“That bad of a day?” Henry asked after placing the order. Maybe she was rattled by Sabrina showing her the necklace.
“I suppose you know—we now have Elena’s mother with us up at Bella Vista?”
“If that’s a problem, I’m sure I can find her a spot through Julie Lasota at Virgin Villas. Ten Villas is full until Thursday.” Henry said, imagining how awkward life at Bella Vista might be.
“No, Paul is moving back to Villa Nirvana so Carmen can have his room. It’s just gotten so very weird. To be honest, I wasn’t wild about Elena, but I never would have imagined she was living a double life. Sean is so torn apart, I can’t bear to watch it.” Heather took a hit of her drink and sighed. “God, I needed that.”
“Gavin’s back at Villa Nirvana, too. Do you know if Lisa’s returning?” Henry asked.
“I haven’t talked to Lisa, other than when the cops were there, since I watched part of Breakfast at Tiffany’s with her the night of the murder.”
The new bartender Henry hadn’t met yet slid the order of crabmeat wontons in front of them. They tucked into the appetizer without talking for a few minutes.
“These are incredible,” Heather said, signaling for another round of drinks. Henry decided he would have one more, but that was his limit. Besides, it looked like Heather might be needing a ride back to Bella Vista, so he thought he’d better be able to drive.
“I can’t imagine what it must have been like growing up with two brothers like Sean and Gavin,” Henry said. “Were they like most brothers, teasing you?”
“Oh no. It wasn’t like that at all. Gavin and Sean never did anything together. They were competitors. Gavin spent every other weekend with us making our lives hell. He would tell my mother and Jack these elaborate stories that had just enough truth in them that they would seem believable. They were always intended to get Sean and me in trouble. He would do mean stuff, like offer to take our new puppy for a walk, then let it off leash so it would get lost and we would go crazy trying to find it. Gavin hated it that he had to share Jack with us and was determined to torture us.”
“Makes my life as an only child seem idyllic,” Henry said, laughing.
“The weekends when Gavin stayed home with Anneka were like vacations to us.”
“Did you have any clue Elena wasn’t the person she pretended to be?” Henry asked, changing the subject.
“Not really. At this point, I’m not sure what I believed when—” Heather was starting to slur her words.
“It sounds like you know more than you’re willing to say,” Henry suggested, not sure if he should just come out and ask her about the necklace she’d denied having in her pocket.
“Sometimes telling the truth, Henry, can be worse than telling a lie.”
“What do you mean?” Henry asked. He placed an order for a platter of Mix ’n Match Sliders and another drink for Heather. She didn’t protest.
“Let’s just say I’m happy Sean can have his memories, now that I don’t have to dispel them.”
“What about the necklace, Heather?”
“What necklace?” Heather asked, grabbing the last of the wontons.